Saturday, November 18, 2017

Are You an Empath? Part 2

     Last week I was listing the characteristics of an empath that Dr. Judith Orloff describes in reference to her book, The Empath's Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People.  How did you rate?  Did some characteristics resonate more than others for you?  Well, here are the remaining descriptions of an empath.  Let's see how you do.
  • Are you afraid of becoming suffocated by intimate relationships?
  • Do you startle easily?
  • Do you react strongly to caffeine or medications?
  • Do you have a low threshold for pain?
  • Do you tend to isolate yourself socially?
  • Do you absorb other people's stress, emotions, or symptoms?
  • Do you get overwhelmed by multi-tasking, or prefer to do one thing at a time?
  • Do you need a long time to recuperate after being with difficult people or energy vampires?
  • Do you feel better in small cities or the country rather than in large cities?
  • Do you prefer one-to-one interactions or small groups over large gatherings?
     While I haven't read Dr. Orloff's book (yet), it sounds like it would be very helpful even if you are only somewhat empathic.  The book has great reviews!

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Are You an Empath?

     A while ago I received an email in promotion of Dr. Judith Orloff's online course to supplement her book, The Empath's Survival Guide: Life Strategies for Sensitive People.  In the email, she sent a link to take a quiz to measure whether one is an empath.  No surprise to me, the results showed I am a "strong empath."  How about you?  Here are the first ten characteristics of an empath that she lists:
  • Do you find you need to replenish yourself in nature?
  • Do you often feel overwhelmed or anxious?
  • Have you ever been labeled overly sensitive, shy, or introverted?
  • Do you become ill from yelling or arguments?
  • Do you feel like you don't really fit in?
  • Do crowds drain you?  Do you need time along to revive yourself?
  • Do you feel overwhelmed by noise, odors, or nonstop talkers?
  • Do you have chemical sensitivities or a low tolerance for scratchy clothes?
  • Do you prefer taking your own car to places in case you want to leave early?
  • Do you overeat (or engage in other addictive coping mechanisms) to cope with stress?
     This book may be for you.  We'll continue with our quiz next week.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

An Interesting Quote

     A couple of weeks ago I was promoting The Second Book of the Tao By Stephen Mitchell.  It's a good book, certainly worth reading.

     The author, in an endnote, was comparing the sentiment found on bumper stickers which states, "If you're not offended, you're not paying attention" with Taoist philosophy.  Here is his version of that bumper sticker, with a Taoist spin:

     "If you don't notice that greed, hatred, and ignorance cause great suffering in the world, and if you're not moved to end the suffering, you're not paying attention."

     Hear, hear.